Books
Barton Creek
Texas A&M University Press, 2019
By Ed Crowell, Photographs by Alberto Martinez
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
Following the creek from downtown Austin’s Barton Springs Pool to its source as a cow-pasture trickle, longtime resident and journalist Ed Crowell explores the creek’s contentious political history, its historic and current residents, and the mounting environmental pressures threatening it. Barton Creek highlights the passionate individuals involved in the stream’s preservation, from city scientists to local landowners, who want to see the creek running clear and clean for future generations. Striking photography and vivid descriptions will entice readers to fall in love with Barton Creek all over again.
The Blanco River
Texas A&M University Press, 2017
By Wes Ferguson, Photography by Jacob Croft Botter
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
For eighty-seven miles, the swift and shallow Blanco River winds through the Texas Hill Country. Its water is clear and green, darkened by frequent pools. River travelers Ferguson and Botter tell the remarkable story of this changeable river, confronting challenges and dangers as well as rare opportunities to see parts of the river few have seen. The authors also photographed and recorded the human response to the destruction of a beloved natural resource that has become yet another episode in the story of water in Texas.
Bob Spain's Canoeing Guide and Favorite Texas Paddling Trails
Texas A&M University Press, 2018
Written by Bob Spain, Original artwork by Joy Emshoff
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
Premiere paddler and Texas Canoe Racing Hall of Famer Bob Spain presents a thorough and personal guide to all aspects of canoeing. Readers will learn how to hold a paddle, perform basic strokes, and improve their technique as well as gain information on the various types of canoes available. Both newcomers to the sport and seasoned paddlers will find Spain’s detailed descriptions of his ten favorite inland and coastal Texas paddling trails entertaining and helpful.
Border Sanctuary
Texas A&M University Press, 2015
By M.J. Morgan
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
The Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge lies on the northern bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, about seventy miles upriver from the Gulf of Mexico. In Border Sanctuary, M.J. Morgan uncovers how 2,000 acres of rare subtropical riparian forest came to be preserved in a region otherwise dramatically altered by human habitation.
Caddo: Visions of a Southern Cypress Lake
Texas A&M University Press, 2015
Narrator Thad Sitton
Photographs by Carolyn Elizabeth Brown
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
In both words and pictures, writer Thad Sitton and photographer Carolyn Brown have captured the human, animal, and plant life of Caddo, as well as the history of the lake itself, better likened to an ever-changing network of cypress woodlands, bayou-like channels, water-plant meadows, and hardwood bottoms covered more or less by water.
Canoeing and Kayaking Houston Waterways
Texas A&M University Press, 2012
By Natalie H. Wiest; Maps by Jerry Moulden
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
Within about 75 miles of downtown Houston, some 1,500 miles of rivers, creeks, lakes, bayous, and bays await discovery. Canoeing and Kayaking Houston Waterways, by longtime paddler Natalie Wiest, is the perfect companion for anyone who wants to experience Houston’s well-watered landscape from the seat of a kayak or canoe.
Discovering Westcave
Texas A&M University Press, 2016
By S. Christopher Caran and Elaine Davenport
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
In Discovering Westcave, Chris Caran and Elaine Davenport take readers on a walk through the beautiful preserve unveiling the evolutionary past of its stunning natural features and acknowledging the many people who have been a part of Westcave’s long history. The aim of this guidebook is not only to share the natural and human history of this refuge, soon to be surrounded by one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the country, but also to inspire through environmental learning a continued respect and appreciation for the natural world.
Exploring the Brazos River: From Beginning to End
Texas A&M University Press 2011
By Jim Kimmel
Photographs by Jerry Touchstone Kimmel
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
In Exploring the Brazos River, Jim Kimmel follows this long, changeable river from its rocky “arms” in West Texas, through the stretch made famous by John Graves in his classic book, Goodbye to a River, to its lumbering presence as it flows, undammed and mostly untouched, down the Brazos Valley and into the Gulf of Mexico.
Fog at Hillingdon
Texas A&M University Press, 2015
By David K. Langford
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
While fog does not come easily or frequently to Central Texas, when it does, it inspires moments of quiet and reflection. David K. Langford captures those moments here in stirring images of the comings and goings of fog on Hillingdon Ranch, family land that has benefited from the stewardship of six generations. These photographs in turn inspired an essay by writer Rick Bass that takes him back to his own memories of fog—in the Texas Hill Country and elsewhere.
Flash Floods in Texas
Texas A&M University Press, 2008
By Jonathan Burnett
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
How many times have you heard the television or radio alert, “We are now under a flash flood watch”? While the destructive force of flash flooding is a regular occurrence in the state and has caused a tremendous amount of damage and heartache over the years, no one until now has recorded in a single book the history of flash floods in Texas.
Freshwater Fishes of Texas
Texas A&M University Press, 2007
By Chad Thomas, Timothy H. Bonner, and Bobby G. Whiteside
Foreword by Fran Gelwick
Preface by Andrew Sansom
Containing habitat information, physical descriptions, photos, and range maps for more than 150 species of freshwater fishes found in Texas, this field guide is an indispensable reference and research tool for ichthyologists, professional fisheries biologists, amateur naturalists, and anglers alike. The introductory section offers an illustrated guide to the common counts and measurements for fish identification; a brief explanation of fish phylogeny; and a scientific key to help identify the fish families in Texas.
The Living Waters of Texas
Texas A&M University Press, 2010
Edited by Ken Kramer
Photographs by Charles Kruvand
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
In ten impassioned essays, veteran Texas environmental advocates and conservation professionals step outside their roles as lawyers, lobbyists, administrators, consultants, and researchers to write about water. Their personal stories of what the springs, rivers, bottom lands, bayous, marshes, estuaries, bays, lakes, and reservoirs mean to them and to our state come alive in the landscape photography of Charles Kruvand.
Green in Gridlock
Texas A&M University Press, 2013
By Paul Walden Hansen
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
In Green in Gridlock, Paul Walden Hansen, the former head of the Izaak Walton League, takes stock of what has been accomplished and what has been squandered in the many environmental contests in which he was involved during his forty-year career as a conservationist. In seeking to identify the strategies that worked and to pinpoint why progress on so many important issues never materialized, Hansen realized that the most important predictor of success or failure was the willingness of opposing interests to find common ground and to compromise in order to attain mutually important goals.
Heads Above Water
Texas A&M University Press, 2015
By Robert L. Gulley
In this book, Gulley tells the inside story of the Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program (EARIP), a federally sponsored process put in place by the Texas legislature. How such a large and fractious group came together to resolve one of the nation’s most intractable and longstanding water problems serves as a case study in consensus building. That consensus brought certainty to the region regarding the use of the aquifer while creating an unlikely but lasting partnership for conservation.
Money for the Cause: A Complete Guide to Event Fundraising
Texas A&M University Press, 2012
By Rudolph A. Rosen
Illustrations by Katie Dobson Cundiff
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
There has never been a greater need for raising the funds necessary to promote the causes that will help build a sustainable future. In Money for the Cause: A Complete Guide to Event Fundraising, veteran nonprofit executive director Rudolph A. Rosen lays out field-tested approaches that have been among those that helped him and the teams of volunteers and professionals he has worked with raise more than $3 billion for environmental conservation.
Neches River User Guide
Texas A&M University Press, 2009
By Gina Donovan, Stephen D. Lange and Adrian F. van Dellen
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
The Neches River winds through a large portion of Texas’ scarce public lands, and Neches River User Guide, a project of the Texas Conservation Alliance, offers outdoor enthusiasts a menu of ways to enjoy this wild Texas river.
As users flip through this guide book, its user-friendly maps will reveal the towns, roads, entry points, bridges, public lands, parks, and other landmarks along nearly 360 miles of the river’s course. Each map details practical information about public access points, potential hazards, camping facilities, and GPS coordinates for points of interest.
The Nueces River
Texas A&M University Press, 2017
By Margie Crisp, Artwork by William B. Montgomery
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
From its fresh, clear headwaters on the Edwards Plateau, the authors follow the river through the mesquite and prickly pear of the South Texas Plains, to the river’s end in Nueces and Corpus Christi Bays on the Gulf of Mexico. Capturing the river’s subtle beauty, abundant wildlife, diverse culture, and unique history of exploration, conflict, and settlement, they reveal the untold story of this enigmatic river with passion, humor, and reverence.
Of Texas Rivers and Texas Art
Texas A&M University Press, 2017
By Andrew Sansom and William E. Reaves
In Of Texas Rivers and Texas Art, Andrew Sansom, a leading Texas conservationist, and William E. Reaves, an influential Texas art collector and historian, have teamed up to showcase some of the finest contemporary river art detailing the gorgeous traits of Texas landscapes. The collection of work included in this book is exemplary of the strong inspiration that rivers have provided for a vast current of literature, music, and art, in turn shaping their place in life and culture and bringing about a greater appreciation of the stunning beauty of our natural world.
On Politics and Parks
Texas A&M University Press, 2012
By George Bristol
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
On Politics and Parks is at once a lesson in conservation history and a captivating personal memoir that will inform, entertain, and inspire all those who share Bristol’s love for the unspoiled beauty of the outdoors and his commitment to preserve that beauty for future generations.
Paddling the Guadalupe
Texas A&M University Press, 2008
By Wayne H. McAlister
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
For more than 40 years, Wayne H. McAlister has canoed the Guadalupe River, sometimes called the “top recreational river in Texas.” In Paddling the Guadalupe, he guides readers down this 400-mile river whose waters spring from the limestone of the Hill Country in Kerr County, meander across the broad Coastal Plain, and finally empty into the Gulf of Mexico at San Antonio Bay.
Paddling the Wild Neches
Texas A&M University Press, 2006
By Richard M. Donovan
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
With the goal of keeping the Neches flowing free, East Texas native and riverman Richard M. Donovan takes readers canoeing down a 200 mile stretch of the upper Neches. Through two national forests and mile after mile of remote river woodlands, he chronicles the river's natural and cultural history, describes its animal inhabitants, recounts stories of early settlers and East Texas hunting traditions, and calls attention to the recreational potential of the river for paddlers and others, whether residents or visitors.
The Rise of Climate Science
Texas A&M University Press, 2020
By Gerald R. North
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
In a career spanning four decades, Gerald R. North contributed groundbreaking research that continues to shape the modern field of climate science. However, the route he has taken was full of surprising twists and turns. In The Rise of Climate Science, North recounts in detail his life in the vanguard of modern climate science. He offers an insider look at the academic research and government initiatives around global warming and what that means for the planet.
The River and the Wall
Texas A&M University Press, 2019
By Ben Masters
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
When a team of five explorers embarked on a 1,200-mile journey down the Rio Grande, the river that marks the southern boundary of Texas and the US-Mexico border, their goal was to experience and capture on film the rugged landscapes of this vast frontier before the controversial construction of a border wall changed this part of the river forever.
River of Contrasts: The Texas Colorado
Texas A&M University Press, 2012
By Margie Crisp
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
Writer and artist Margie Crisp has traveled the length of Texas’ Colorado River, which rises in Dawson County, south of Lubbock, and flows 860 miles southeast across the state to its mouth on the Gulf of Mexico at Matagorda Bay. Echoing the truth of Heraclitus’s ancient dictum, the river’s character changes dramatically from its dusty headwaters on the High Plains to its meandering presence on the coastal prairie. The Colorado is the longest river with both its source and its mouth in Texas, and its water, from beginning to end, provides for the state’s agricultural, municipal, and recreational needs.
River of Redemption
Texas A&M University Press, 2018
By Krista Schlyer
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
Incorporating seven years of photography and research, Krista Schlyer portrays life along the Anacostia River, a Washington, DC, waterway rich in history and biodiversity that has nonetheless lingered for years in obscurity and neglect in our nation’s capital. River of Redemption offers an experience of the river that reveals its eons of natural history, centuries of destruction, and decades of restoration efforts. The story of the Anacostia echoes the story of rivers across America.
Riverwoods: Exploring the Wild Neches
Texas A&M University Press, 2018
By Charles Kruvand; Introduction by Thad Sitton
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
In this stunning photographic tribute to one of Texas’ most intriguing and perhaps least understood rivers, Riverwoods: Exploring the Wild Neches takes readers on a unique adventure along, and sometimes into, the wild and murky waters of the Neches River.
Running the River: Secrets of the Sabine
Texas A&M University Press, 2014
By Wes Ferguson; Photographs by Jacob Croft Botter
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
Growing up near the Sabine, journalist Wes Ferguson, like most East Texans, steered clear of its murky, debris-filled waters, where alligators lived in the backwater sloughs and an occasional body was pulled from some out-of-the-way crossing. The Sabine held a reputation as a haunt for a handful of hunters and loggers, more than a few water moccasins, swarms of mosquitoes, and the occasional black bear lumbering through swamp oak and cypress knees.
The San Marcos: A River's Story
Texas A&M University Press, 2006
By Jim Kimmel
Photographs by Jerry Touchstone Kimmel
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
The San Marcos springs have flowed for around ten million years. In this ode to the river they form, Jim Kimmel brings us a picture of a watercourse brimming with life, past and present. Native, non-native, prehistoric, and modern-day plants, animals, and people have inhabited the river and its banks. Kimmel touches on them all with the affectionate and knowledgeable voice of one whose own life has been closely linked to the San Marcos.
Scout, The Christmas Dog
Texas A&M University Press, 2006
By Andrew Sansom
Illustrations by Clemente Guzman III
In December 2004, an aging black Labrador retriever on the first hunting trip of her long, good life spooked at the sound of gunshot and was lost amid the frigid rice fields of the Texas coastal prairie. For a week her owner searched for his old companion, knowing that her age and inexperience were stacked against her survival. When family obligations pulled him halfway across the country, sadness and gloom pervaded the approaching holiday. Then a freak snowstorm, a distant phone call, and a friend’s lucky timing brought an unexpected reminder of the magic of Christmas. Buy it here.
Seasons at Selah: The Legacy of Bamberger Ranch Preserve
Texas A&M University Press, 2018
By Andrew Sansom
Photography by Rusty Yates and David K. Langford
Foreword by Carter P. Smith
Seasons at Selah chronicles Bamberger’s dedication to ethical land stewardship and conservation education through stunning photographs of the land, plants, and wildlife he has devoted his time and resources to protect. Photographers Rusty Yates and David K. Langford capture each season at Selah and offer an intimate glimpse into the day-to-day management of the ranch as well as some of the challenges it faces. In the accompanying text, Andrew Sansom shares his own stories from his decades-long friendship with Bamberger. Buy it here.
Sharing the Common Pool
Texas A&M University Press, 2014
By Charles R. Porter
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
If all the people, municipalities, agencies, businesses, power plants, and other entities that think they have a right to the water in Texas actually tried to exercise those rights, there would not be enough water to satisfy all claims, no matter how legitimate. In this book, water rights expert Charles Porter explains in the simplest possible terms who has rights to the water in Texas, who determines who has those rights, and who benefits or suffers because of it. Buy it here.
Texas Aquatic Science
Sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University Press and The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment
Texas Aquatic Science is a comprehensive aquatic science curriculum, from molecules to ecosystems, and headwaters to ocean, for middle school and high school students.
The Texas Landscape Project
Texas A&M University Press, 2016
By David Todd and Jonathan Ogren
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
The Texas Landscape Project explores conservation and ecology in Texas by presenting a highly visual and deeply researched view of the widespread changes that have affected the state as its population and economy have boomed and as Texans have worked ever harder to safeguard its bountiful but limited natural resources.
Texas Riparian Areas
Texas A&M University Press, 2015
Edited by Thomas B. Hardy and Nicole A. Davis
Texas Riparian Areas evolved from a report commissioned by the Texas Water Development Board as Texas faced the reality of over-allocated water resources and long-term if not permanent drought conditions. Its purpose was to summarize the characteristics of riparian areas and to develop a common vocabulary for discussing, studying, and managing them.
Texas Water Atlas
Texas A&M University Press, 2008
By Lawrence E. Estaville and Richard A. Earl
Preface by Andrew Sansom
Rainfall, hurricanes, rivers, reservoirs, springs, lakes, aquifers, wetlands, floodplains, water parks, irrigation, wells—the list of water-related topics in Texas is long and critical to the state’s economic and political future. Texas Water Atlas provides the first comprehensive reference for water-related topics in Texas. In addition to more than 150 color maps, the book includes brief introductions to each chapter and a Texas water timeline that traces the state’s water events since European settlement.
The Untold Story of the Lower Colorado River Authority
Texas A&M University Press, 2016
By John Williams
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
In this book, readers will learn about the forces of nature and politics that combined to create LCRA; the colorful personalities who operated, supported, or fought with the agency; its spectacular successes, periodic blunders, and occasional failures; and its evolution into one of the largest public power organizations in Texas. Buy it here.
Water in Texas: An Introduction
University of Texas Press, 2008
By Andrew Sansom
Foreword by Denise Trauth
No natural resource issue has greater significance for the future of Texas than water. The state's demand for water for municipal, industrial, agricultural, and recreational uses continues to grow exponentially, while the supply from rivers, lakes, aquifers, and reservoirs is limited. To help Texans manage their water resources today and plan for future needs, one of Texas's top water experts has compiled this authoritative overview of water issues in Texas.
The Wild Lives of Reptiles and Amphibians
Texas A&M University Press, 2020
By Michael A. Smith
The Wild Lives of Reptiles and Amphibians introduces readers to the exciting native species they can observe on a family nature trip or a walk through the local park. Author Michael A. Smith, cofounder of the Dallas–Fort Worth Herpetological Society, takes readers through creeks, rivers, and bottomland forests and across woods, deserts, and plains, profiling the herps to be found along the way with vivid photographs and helpful descriptions.
Your Remarkable Riparian Field Guide & Owner’s Manual
Now Available at Pre-Publication Discount
“This is the must-have, two-for-one set for every riparian education program in Texas,” -Dr. Andrew Sansom, Executive Director of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.
Find out more and order now at remarkableriparian.org